Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-07-28
lLARRYING FOR MoNEY.
Some Unorthodox but common-sense Views
on the suhJeei.

For lovers, who love because they
love this paper Is not written. They
are what they are. They do not reason
and cannot be reasoned with. Their
passion is blind force which attracts
them together as Saturn's moons are
attractedto Saturn-by an occult and
invisible compulsion which can neither
be seen, nor felt, nor tasted, nor de-
scribed. They are theme for poets
and dreamers, and not for common,
sensible, workaday people like the
writer and reader. Have done
with them.
But there are people who get married
as they join the church, or choose
vocation, or enter upon a hazardous
undertaking. They look around them
and examine into the condition of holy
wedlock as it is among their acquain-
tances, friends, and kinfolk. Having
''cut their eye teeth" they brush the
bloom from the cheek of the peach be-
for they eat it, because they know the
bloom is bitter. For good people of
this strain profitable word may be
said about marrying for money.
l have often thought that the circum-
stances under which man or woman
might justifiably marry for money
could be readily tabulated. If, for in
stance, there should be a rich man
who had no moral or physical defect
to make an allowance with him re-
pulsive, his health would be a proper
inducement to any woman of the fol-
lowing list to whom he might offer h
hand:
A woman older than himself and de.
pendent.
A widow with children to care for.
A widow with no one to care for her.
An invalid, maid or matron.
An accomplished poor girl.
A beauty.
An equal in wealth and position.
So, also, throwing love out of the
question, but insisting upon regard,
respect, and good character, a rich
young woman might probably marry:
A man of equal or larger fortune.
A poor man of talent.
A clever artist, or mechanic, or
farmer, or preacher, or soldier.
Any man the weight of whose intelli-
gence, capacity of one sort or another,
would be balance for the weight of
dollars brought him by his wife.
Throwing out of consideration the
phosical conditions which are necessary
under all circumstances of the mar
ried state, if money be an inducement
the man who marries for money should
be able to bring some set-off to make
tie match an even one. 1t is the more
necessary for the reason that the man
is the proposing party. That married
woman would be an angel indeed who,
having put her fat purse into the hand
of poor husband, would not upon
some of the emergent occasions of
married life taunt him with ''the odd
shilling"
On the contrary, the rich husband
who marries a wife of q slender
fortune is his own chooser. However
much he may rue his bargain he can
not reproach his helpmate for self-im-
posed conditions. Having made his
bed he must lie in it. If his
wife be accomplished or beautiful she
may fairly claim that the dowry she
brings her husband is something better
than gold can buy.
Marrying for money in some cases is
altogether advisable, if the opportunity
offer 1t is not merely sordid view of
the married relation to take care at the
outstart of assuring bread and
butter. There may, indeed, be some
doubt of the propriety of bringing a
brood of children into the world for
the world to care for. The philosophy
of Tennyson's Yorkshire farmer in his
advice to his son Sammy:
Doant thou marry for MUMMY
But goa where there mummy is
is full of the wisdom of this world.
We advise as many of the Tommys and
Susans as possible not to marry for
money, but to go where money is and
take the chances. If money can be
found in the hands of a fairly good man
or tolerable girl, Or beaming and
buxom widow, and the membranes
be not greater than the inducements,
marriageable bodies should not let an
opportunity that offers slip from their
grasp. Money not only makes the
mare go; it buys oats for the mare so
that she can go.
Sentimentalists who are disposed to
find fault with these wordly-wise words
may rest their criticism. Lovers who
from time immemorial rushed blindly
into matrimony, regardless of the fact
that love and squalid poverty are in
compatible, will continue to rush.
The more far-seeing and better bal
anced ones will weigh the pros and
cons and marry according to their
Judgment if they marry at all, and no
man or woman will marry for money
because of our advice unless they get
the chance. Nevertheless, .goain'
wheer mummy is" is not the greatest vice
for which modern society is account
able-Ph6ladetphta Record.